ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · chair · board · track · root · spring · deal · shower

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. track — a song
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chair — a leader
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — of a plant
  13. shower — rain
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. spring — the season
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. track — a path
  20. board — a committee
  21. root — the cause
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. spring — of water
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com